Never Yours (Peeta Mellark X Reader)

Chapter 13--Strong Alliance

All you could register as you ran after the Career pack was your feet pounding hard on the ground, your breath coming out in short strangled gasps. You felt the backpack slipping from your back and hastily pulled it up, but you never stopped running. After a bit, you noticed everyone stopping and panting as they put their hands on their knees, breathing hard. You, in the meanwhile, collapsed onto the ground, the world spinning around you somewhat.

"Well. Looks like our ally here has passed out somewhat," you heard another girl say above you, and you looked up to see a girl you didn't recognize--probably from District 4--hold a hand out to you. Gratefully, you accepted it, and she pulled you up.

"(Y/N), right?" Glimmer asked, approaching you with a smirk on her face.

You gulped and nodded. "Y-yeah. Um, yeah. Hi."

"Hi," everyone chorused.

"Where's Cato?" Marvel suddenly asked.

Clove shook her head. "No idea. Probably going back for more supplies. Or something."

"I haven't seen him," Glimmer answered him also, shaking her head.

"Whatever the case though, well, we're alive somewhat," you eventually noted. "Wait, what have you guys got from the Cornucopia?"

Glimmer pulled out her backpack filled with matches, a sleeping bag, and an empty water bottle. Clove held up several knives and a sleeping bag as well. Marvel had several spears, and in his pack he got knives, spearheads, a first-aid kit, and some extra socks. The girl from District 4, whose name was Pearl, got herself a long piece of rope and a sword.

"What about you?" Pearl asked.

You shrugged. "Uh..." You slowly took off your backpack and pulled out a roll of white cloth, a small packet of gauze, and several safety pins, as well as an empty water bottle, a lighter, a sleeping bag, and 2 pairs of sunglasses. You also took out your loaf of bread and sheet of plastic from your pocket.

Pearl immediately gasped when she saw the sunglasses. "Oh my god! Guys, look! (Y/N) has the high-tech glasses!"

"What? Where?" Clove ran over to you and glanced at the contents of your pack. Her eyes widened at the glasses.

"What's so special about these?" you asked, thoroughly confused.

"These," Glimmer clarified for you. "These are not your typical sunglasses that block out the sun. They are night-vision glasses! Put them on, and you can see well in the dark!"

Now you gaped at them. "Wow. Must be really high-tech."

"Try them on when we hunt at night," Clove advised you. "They help a lot."

You nodded as you stuffed everything back in your pack. "Thanks." Then you turned around wildly. "Hey, where's Peeta?"

To this, everyone else glanced at each other shiftily. "Peeta...you mean your district partner?" Marvel asked. "The one who we assumed you were so close to?"

You nodded. "Yeah. I..."

"He's alive."

You all turned around to see Cato come back with a sword and a backpack on his back, his expression grim as he approached you. "He's alive, (Y/N)," Cato repeated. "I saw him run off to the other end of the woods."

"You sure?" you asked. Sure, maybe you won't forgive Peeta yet, but you still cared for him. He may not care for you as much as you wished, but he's still your friend, even if time in the Capitol changed you both and cost you your friendship.

Cato nodded. "Yeah. Now come on. We have some tributes to locate."

So you all set off again, trudging together through the woods. Glimmer and Marvel took the lead, followed by Clove and Pearl, and then you and Cato took the rear. As you went through, you caught sight of a few animals wandering around, and you quickly shot them with your bow and arrow, and then you put all your kills in your plastic sheet in your pack.